A Weekend in Istanbul

Catherine and Michael in the Grand Bazaar

We were delighted when our niece, Catherine, and her husband, Michael, came to stay with us in Istanbul, even if for a very short time. Cath had visited Istanbul before, but everything was new to Mikey, so we decided to give him a brief overview of all the delights this city  has to offer.

Our first stop was the Grand Bazaar...

...before going up onto the roof of the Buyuk Valide Han. 

(See previous post).

Cath and Mikey, and their bird's-eye view of Istanbul

We continued our walk through the maze of streets leading from the Grand Bazaar down to the Spice Bazaar, and on across the Galata Bridge before heading home.

Hmm... so many Turkish Delights to choose from in the Spice Market

Day two was pretty exhausting, taking in the Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque, mainly because in all three we were fighting to get through the hoards of tourists, and endless queues!

Cath photographing the Hagia Sophia

There's a great view down the Bosphorus, from the Topkapi Palace.

The final day was much calmer, as we sailed down the Bosphorus, all the way to the last stop, Anadolu Kavagi.

We imagined what it must be like, living on the edge of the Bosphorus

Mikey relaxes on the ferry

The ferry station at Anadolu Kavagi

Here, I opted to save our premium seats by the water's edge, and enjoy a glass of wine, while Cath and Mikey hiked up the steep hill to Yorus Castle, built by the Byzantines, then restored and reinforced by the Genoese, in 1350.

Lunch in a restaurant beside the Bosphorus

After a relaxed lunch, we returned home for our last night together, before they left again for England. It was such a short visit, but David and I had fun, and I hope Cath and Mikey did too. We are looking forward to their next visit.

Here is the video I made of their visit

Elizabeth Coughlan

The Hidden Hans of Istanbul

I found a fascinating book about Istanbul, called "Istanbul's Bazaar Quarter - Backstreet Walking Tours", by Ann Marie Mershon and Edda Renker Weissenbacher. The book explores the hidden Hans around the area of the Grand Bazaar. The Hans were small caravansaries within the city walls, where travellers and merchants could safely spend the night, along with their pack animals.

Typically, a Han is an open courtyard, surrounded by rooms on two or three levels. The upper floors were usually for lodgings, or for workrooms, while the ground floor was used for stabling, or for storing merchandise. Today, the rooms are used as shops, or for artisans practicing a wide variety of crafts.

There are 4 different walks outlined in the book, and I intend to explore all of them eventually. My first walk was the one behind the Grand Bazaar. Although we passed all the Hans mentioned in this particular walk, we didn't go into all of them, because of time restraints.

The entrance steps to the Zincirli Han. It is difficult to believe that the noise
and bustle of the Grand Bazaar is only a few steps away from this peaceful oasis!

We began at the Zincirli Han, which is inside the Grand Bazaar itself. This picturesque Han dates back to the end of the 18th century, and is often overlooked by the hoards of tourists passing by, scouring for bargains.

Notice the ancient stones in the  Zincirli Han's courtyard

The Ottoman fountain in the middle of the Zincirli Han,

which is still in use today.

 

 The Kizlar Agasi Han, or Eunuch's Han.

Note the original fountain to the left, and the Sultan's seal above.

Another interesting Han is the Kizlar Agasi Han, or Eunuch's Han. This was built by Sultan Mahmut I's chief

eunuch, who also built a mosque near the Topkai Palace. The rent paid by travellers staying there, would

probably have been his retirement pension. Each Han tends to have its own specialty, and this one's is in

melting gold, and producing ribbons and wires of it, ready to make into jewellery.

This, the Hidiv Han, is interesting because it was built by Ali Pasa, the Viceroy of Egypt,

and later donated to the Red Crescent, who now receive all the income from rents.

The outer courtyard of the Sağir Han

We were intrigued as to why one of the Hans was called the Sağir Han, as the word "sağir" means "deaf" in

Turkish. It wasn't difficult to understand, however, once we reached the top of the outside staircase, and heard the clatter of the machines spinning thread onto reels. The noise really was deafening!

The noisy workshop in the Sağir Han

One of the quieter workshops in the Sağir Han.

This man is an expert dyer. He dyes buttons to match fabrics exactly

The entrance to the Buyuk Valide Han

But my favourite Han is the Buyuk Valide Han. It is One of the most popular Hans to visit, mainly because of the amazing view from its roof.

View of the Galata Bridge and the Yeni Camii, from the roof

of the Buyuk Valide Han

The view from the other side of the Yeni Camii.

You can see all the way down to the Bosphorus Bridge.

Before getting access to the roof, you have to find the caretaker with the keys

The word "valide" means "mother", and refers to the mother of both Sultan Murat IV, and his successor Sultan Ibrahim, who commissioned the building of the Han. On entering, the Han looks dark and forbidding, but everyone we encountered was welcoming, and were happy to show us their workshops.

One workshop specialises in these beautiful, hand-made lamps

It is fun to visit the workshops and see the many craftsmen at work

If ever you are in Istanbul, take time to explore my blog first, so you can visit those parts of the city most other tourists don't get to see!

Elizabeth Coughlan

Photography Club Trip to Beyazit, Istanbul, Turkey

Our group met outside the Istanbul University, which stands on the site of the original wooden palace belonging to Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror.

Our Photography Club trip this week was to the Cebeci Han, an area of copper workshops, dating from the 18th Century. Commercial areas in the older areas of Istanbul usually have the name "han" (inn), which is derived from the Persian word for "house". The hans were places to stay along the trade routes that were popular during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. They usually consist of a courtyard, surrounded by two to three stories of individual rooms.

A woman selling birdseed in the square in between 

the Istanbul University and the Bayazit Mosque.

Each han bears the name of the merchandise sold there. Cebeci Han means Armour Inn, where, presumably armour was originally made, although now it is the han where copper products are fashioned and sold. We must have been an extraordinary sight as our group of expat women peered into workshops, and surveyed the area, cameras at the ready, snapping away. Mostly people were very tolerant of us, although there was one man, asleep in his workshop, who was very angry when he awoke to find a whole lot of foreign women hovering around his doorway taking pictures.

Over-sized copper-ware for sale on one of the upper balconies.

 There was also the obligatory carpet shop. 

If you fancy a carpet I can get you a good price!

Nizam Çolak's antique shop, in the Cebeci Han, is well known in Istanbul.

The Cebeci Han is right next to the Grand Bazaar, and we had to run the gauntlet of the ever-persistent stallholders to get to our next destination, the roof of the ancient Büyük Valide Han (literally the Big Mother Han). This han dates back to 1651, and was commissioned by Kösem Sultan, the mother of both Sultan Murat IV, and Sultan İbrahim, his successor. Although the han is fairly deserted and neglected, we did see some workshops operating. Their specialty appear to be hookah pipes.

We wandered through the Grand Bazaar.

The best thing about this han is its roof access. We climbed up crumbling staircases, through gloomy passages and ancient doorways to reach the roof. From there the panoramic view was spectacular, and we spent a happy time taking photos and admiring the scenery.

We climbed up crumbling staircases, and negotiated dark passages.

 

The panoramic view from the roof was amazing,
and well worth the climb!

All too soon it was time to go, and we didn't have time to explore the Kalcılar, or "Silver" Han. This will have to be reserved for another trip. I thoroughly enjoyed this expedition, even though most of my photos were rubbish. Never mind, it's back to the drawing board and lots more practice with camera settings. I'm sure to get the hang of it eventually!